1--What is the title of your latest release?
BATTLE OF THE BOOKSTORES
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
We like to think of it as You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game. Two booksellers with absolutely nothing in common must compete for the same job when their stores are combined by the new owner. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, they’re also chatting with each other online in an anonymous forum for booksellers. And as their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship deepens. What could possibly go wrong?
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
We knew we wanted to set the book in an area where it might be possible to have two very different bookstores located so close together. We were also excited to set it in a new location from our other books. The Boston area (and Somerville more specifically) was the perfect setting for a cozy bookish vibe–and it allowed us to send the characters to Kennebunkport for some beach time, too! Alison used to live in Somerville, so it helped that she was familiar with the area.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes! Booksellers are the coolest people, and we’d love to get more book recommendations from Josie and Ryan.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Josie: organized, efficient, hard-working
Ryan: chaotic, soft-hearted, romantic
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
We took a research trip to Boston together to scout locations for various scenes in the book, and we learned that there is a beautiful bar/tea lounge located right off the entrance of the Boston Public Library (main branch). We loved it so much we decided to set a pivotal scene there!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
As co-authors, we divide up the chapters by POV (one of us drafted Josie’s chapters, the other drafted Ryan’s), and then send them to each other for edits/comments. We typically wait until we’ve finished the entire draft to do any major editing, though.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Bradeigh: dark chocolate
Alison: crab rangoon!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
Bradeigh: I have a dedicated office with a giant desk, bookshelves, and plenty of light.
Alison: I have an office, but I rarely use it. I love writing at coffee shops, it’s just the right balance of noise around me. And coffee, of course!
10--Who is an author you admire?
We are both huge fans of Lynn Painter and the way she balances heart and humor in her books.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Would it be cheesy to say our first book, The Beach Trap, changed our life? But honestly, it did. We were both on different publishing paths, writing our own books (women’s fiction for Alison and thrillers for Bradeigh). But starting Ali Brady together has been one of the most incredible things
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
For our debut novel, we were both working at our day jobs when we heard from our agents that Berkley had made an offer. We stopped what we were doing to hop on FaceTime and celebrate together!
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Bradeigh: thrillers and romance.
Alison: Romance and thrillers. And women’s fiction.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
So hard to choose, but let’s say You’ve Got Mail, since that inspired so many aspects of this book!
15--What is your favorite season?
Bradeigh: summer.
Alison: Summer
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Bradeigh: my birthday is Halloween, so I celebrate it by going trick-or-treating with my kids.
Alison: I love celebrating birthdays—mine or anyone elses! I usually do something pretty low-key, but this year, I want to go cosmic bowling :)
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Bradeigh: I adored Severence and recommend it to anyone who loves excellent writing and unique visual storytelling.
Alison: If anyone hasn’t seen Shrinking yet, stop what you’re doing and watch it right now. I loved the writing, and honestly, I’m a sucker for anything that can make me laugh and cry at the same time.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Bradeigh: Mexican or Thai.
Alison: Italian or Asian.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Bradeigh: read and hang out with my family.
Alison: What free time? Ha. I love to read and travel and go see live music.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
We’re working on another bookish romance but can’t give too many details yet! Right now, we’re so excited to connect with readers at in-person and online events for BATTLE OF THE BOOKSTORES.
Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.
Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.
Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.
As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.
Romance Comedy [Berkley, On Sale: June 3, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780593640845 / eISBN: 9780593640852]
Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. The Beach Trap is their first book together. Alison lives in Chicago and works as a VP creative director at an advertising agency. She’s the author of You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me. Bradeigh lives with her family in Utah, where she works as a physician. She’s the author of the psychological thriller, Imposter.
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